System for mounting accessories on a camera

Abstract

A system for mounting an accessory unit, such as a flash unit, on a cameraousing comprises at least one fixed hook-shaped bolt and at least one movable hook-shaped bolt on the accessory unit with corresponding apertures in the camera housing for receiving the bolts, the inner surface of the camera housing being provided with inclined surfaces leading away from the apertures, the hook-shaped bolts being provided with corresponding inclined surfaces and the inclined surface of the movable hook-shaped bolt being substantially parallel to the contact plane, the locking action being secured by a spring urging the bolts into contact with the inclined surfaces associated with their corresponding apertures.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for mounting an accessory unit on a camera housing, which comprises: (a) a camera housing having apertures therethrough disposed adjacent the ends of the plane of contact between the accessory unit and the camera housing, and an inner surface provided with opposed inclined surfaces leading from each aperture, and   (b) an accessory unit comprising at least one stationary hook-shaped bolt means and at least one movable hook-shaped bolt means disposed to fit into said apertures, said bolt means having inclined faces corresponding to the inclined faces in the camera housing inner surface such that when the accessory unit is mounted on the camera housing with the bolt means in the apertures, the inclined faces of the bolt means are in contact with the inclined faces of the camera housing inner surface, and spring means urging said bolt means into contact with said inclined surfaces.   
     
     
       2. The system according to claim 1, in which said opposed inclined surfaces lead from each aperture and diverge away from said contact plane, said spring means urging said bolt means apart. 
     
     
       3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said accessory unit has a guideway parallel to said contact plane and said movable bolt means if mounted for reciprocal sliding movement in said guideway. 
     
     
       4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said plane of contact is rectangular and said guideway is parallel to the longer side of the rectangle. 
     
     
       5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said movable bolt means is a hook-shaped pivotal lever mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot shaft parallel to said plane of contact. 
     
     
       6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said plane of contact is rectangular and said pivot shaft is parallel to the shorter side of the rectangle. 
     
     
       7. The system according to claim 1, wherein there are two fixed hook-shaped bolt means in side-by-side relationship and corresponding apertures in said camera housing. 
     
     
       8. The system according to claim 1, wherein there are two movable hook-shaped bolt means in side-by-side relationship and corresponding apertures in said camera housing. 
     
     
       9. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said bolt means carries means for closing an electrical circuit, said circuit closing means being actuated when the accessory unit is mounted on the camera housing and deactuated when the necessary unit is removed from the housing. 
     
     
       10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said circuit is in the accessory unit and the circuit closing means is a rod means carried by said movable bolt means, said rod means being adapted to close an electrical contact when the movable bolt means is moved against the bias of the spring means. 
     
     
       11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said circuit closing means is an electrical contact plate on said bolt means, and the corresponding aperture has a mating electrical contact plate on its associated inclined face. 
     
     
       12. The system according to claim 9, wherein said circuit is in the accessory unit and the circuit closing means is a movable member mounted on said fixed bolt means, said movable member being adapted to move and thus close an electrical contact when said fixed bolt means is inserted in its corresponding aperture. 
     
     
       13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said movable member is a pivotal lever. 
     
     
       14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said camera housing has a movable member therein disposed to close an electrical contact when actuated, said movable member being adjacent an aperture and being moved to its actuating position by insertion of a bolt means in said aperture. 
     
     
       15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said movable member is a pivotal lever.